1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates broadly to a spring powered capture device of a type having a frame, a flexible container suspended from the frame, and a handle attached to the frame. In a preferred embodiment, the frame is provided in two parts which are folding together to trap contents within the container.
2. Description of the Related Art
Although lobster vary greatly around the world, they share one common characteristic--a well developed delicious tail muscle. Lobstering is a popular activity among sport divers. American lobster can be found in and around wrecks in the Atlantic and Pacific and on reefs and in crevices or potholes in the Gulf of Mexico. The popular northern Maine lobster is characterized by two large front claws, one crusher claw and one ripper claw. As the names may suggest, these claws present a danger to divers, and large lobster have been known to break fingers, even where the diver is wearing protective gloves. The Florida spiny lobster, in contrast, does not have such large claws, but is covered with sharp projections on the carapace (particularly over the eyes), the antennae, and parts of the tail. These projections protect the lobster against predatory fish, and can easily cut the hand of a diver attempting to grab such a lobster. Many divers facing a lobster underwater find the prospect of grabbing a live lobster by hand to be an intimidating experience.
In order to reduce the risk of injury to divers, various lobster snaring or capturing devices have been developed. Perhaps the most popular of these devices consists of a hollow pipe having a wire passing through the pipe, the wire having a loop on one end and a handle on the other end. The loop is passed over the lobster and the handle is pulled so that the loop, while being drawn into the pipe, closes tightly around the lobster. However, an alerted lobster can rapidly propel itself away, and it requires skill to snare a lobster using such a device.
Another popular method for capturing lobster is to use a tickle stick to maneuver the animal from its habitat, and then to lower a net over the lobster. The net is usually a fixed-rim net including a rim to which the net is fixed and a handle to which the rim is fixed. A lobster trapped under such a net will attempt to escape. If the bottom contour is irregular, such as in a reef or rocky bottom, openings will be formed between the rim of the net and the ocean floor, and the lobsters may escape before the diver has a chance to grab the lobster. Further, if the net is not placed completely over and around the lobster, so that part of the lobster protrudes from the net, the lobster may be able to work itself free. Even if the bottom is flat and the rim of the net can be placed flush against the floor to prevent escape of the lobster, the diver must then grab the lobster in the net to secure the lobster, and then remove the lobster from the net and transfer it to a lobster catch bag. The danger to the hand of the diver remains. Further, such a net is bulky and is difficult to carry underwater along with the many pieces of equipment worn by the diver. This problem remains even out of the water, where such a net can get entangled with the equipment of fellow divers on a dive boat. A further disadvantage with such a net is that it requires a large storage space when not in use.
A wide variety of nets have been developed in the past for capturing various creatures such as fish, insects, and land animals as well as crustaceans including crabs and lobster.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,653,403 (Oslund) teaches a fish net having fish netting suspended from a frame. A complex mechanism is provided for closing the normally open top of the fish net by gathering the net at one side of the frame, thereby preventing the escape of fish gathered in the net.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,409,146 (Motel) teaches a shutter mechanism incorporated in the webbing of the net for closing the net.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,272,906 (Liebling) discloses a fish net comprising a frame, a container mounted on the frame and defining an opening for the entry of fish, and cover means slidably supported by the frame for movement between a retracted and an extended position. Such a net would be impossible to use underwater due to the large surface area which translates to large water resistance. Further, the trapping of a lobster with such a net would be virtually impossible considering the rapid reflexes of the lobster in relation to the slow movement and small size of the net. Finally, the removal of a lobster from such a net would be difficult.
A further representative net can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,276,995 (Johnson). A net is attached to a frame and a bar, the bar being slidably attached to the frame. Release means are provided to hold the net in the open position, and elastic means are provided to urge the net to close when the release means are activated. However, this net design requires the creature to pass through the rim of the net before the release means can be operated. A further problem with a net of this design is that the bar must travel through the area where the lobster will be. Further, if the net is made of a flexible material which will sink in water, the net will tend to collapse downward. This may not be a problem where the net is used to scoop in an upward direction as when capturing a fish. However, lobster are to be found on the ocean floor, and a dangling net will alert a lobster.
Thus, while a wide variety of nets are known for capturing of fish or insects, none is particularly adapted to capturing lobster.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a net which can be used for capturing lobster which eliminates or minimizes the above-mentioned and other problems, limitations and disadvantages typically associated with conventional nets and traps, and to provide a lobster net which enhances the success rate of capturing lobster, has an attractive appearance, and is easy and fun to use, yet does not unduly interfere with the diver while diving, is light, simple to manufacture, inexpensive to maintain, reliable, and can be made compact for storage.